Automatic regulator for steam-propelled vehicles.



H. LEMP.

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR FOR STEAM PROPELLED VEHICLES.

APPLIUATION FILED maze, 1900.

l 1,015,042, Patented Jan.16,1912.

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. APPLICATION FILED FEB.28, 1900. 1,01 5 ,042. A Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

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H. LEMP.

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR EOE STEAM EEOPELLED VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED TBB. 28, 190D.

1,015,042. PatenteaJan. 16, 1912.

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AUTOMATIC REGULATOR FOR UNITED STATES" HERMANN LEMP, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PATENT orrron.

STEAM-PROPELLED VEHICLES.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

Application filed February 28, 1900. Serial No. 6,806.

To cZZ whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, HERMANN LEMP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Regulators for Steam-Propelled Vehicles, of

which the following is a specification.

'I he present invention relates to the production of steam in power plants, and more especially to those used on vehicles for supplying steam to an engine which is utilized to propel said vehicles. In such a plant the demand for steam varies through wide limits as the demand for power changes due to the character of the route trave-led over, to the load on the vehicle and to the speed of said vehicle. Such a power plant or system when utilizing coil boilers of the socalled flasher type and hydro-carbon burners requires that the water to the boiler and fuel to the burner shall be supplied in regulated and proportional amounts depending upon. the demand of the engine for steam.

My invention has for its object to provide automatically acting means for supplying liquid to the boiler and fuel to the burner to satisfy the demands of the engine for vapor, and to increase or decrease said supplies automatically as the demand for vapor energy changes for any reason.

In carrying out my invention I employ a constantly driven pump, and vary its stroke by means of suitable springs. These springs are so proportioned and arranged that as the water pressure on the boiler rises the stroke of the pump is decreased, and vice versa. When the boiler pressure is below a certain predetermined value the pump, which is driven by the engine, works on full stroke, as does the eccentric driving the pump; but as the pressure rises the stroke of the pump decreases, the eccentric meanwhile continuing to make a full stroke at each revolution of the engine... As the pressure rises and the pump piston meets' with more and more opposition the eccentric acts on the springs and, in the simplest form,I changes the tension or compression as the case may be, until the stroke of the pump entirely ceases and the eccentric, or other source of driving power, works directly against the spring or springs. Thespring or springs act to oppose the forward stroke of the eccentric or other source of power, and consequently absorb energy which howstroke, so aside from the friction losses the pump, when bearingV this particular relation to the other parts, does not consume any energy, and consequently any intermediate stage in the operation consumes an amount of energy in accordance therewith. In practice I prefer to mechanically connect the fuel and water pumps since it is desirable tofcorrespondingly vary the amounts of simplicity in the above description I have not referred to the fuel pump, but will do so later.

In the operation of a steam vehicle the changing of the amount of power required to drive the pumps forms an important consideration, for when the vehicle is traveling at a high rate of speed the demand on the pump may be comparatively small, or even nothing at times as when coasting.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a diagrammatic view showing the steam generating and driving parts of a steam propelled vehicle. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a the parts in a position of rest. Fig. 3 is also a plan view of the pumps showing the pistons at the end of the stroke. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the pump with the parts the pumps showing the springs compressed in such a manner that the pistons have no movement, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

gine of any suitable type, receiving steam from the flash boiler B, and adapted to be connected to the driving-wheel or wheels in anydesired manner. The boiler is surrounded by a casing and is heated by a burner C, which burner is designed to receive vapor from a suitable vaporizer C1. The liquid fuel is contained in a tank D and a small hand pump E is employed to is contained in a tank F, and a small foot pump G is employed to force water into the boiler at the moment of starting. On one end of the engine shaft is an eccentric of fluid supplied thereby, but for the sake` Referring to Fig. 1, A represents an en-l ever is given out by them on the return combined fuel and waterl pump, showingm as shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a plan view of A give an initial pressure thereto. The water;A f

H which is connected by a rod with they sliding cross head H1 working on guides' H2. This I have found to be a desirable arrangement, but any other of the well known equivalents may be employed. Mounted on the same guides is a second cross head I to which are secured the piston rods J1 and K1 the former is connected to the piston of the water pump J, and the latter to the piston of the fuel pump K. F or simplicity the cylinders for the two pumps have been made in a single casting, but the pumps may be made separate and operated by separate eccentrics or other well known equivalents. Between the two cross-heads is locateda compression spring L, and between the pumps and the cross-head I and surrounding the guides H2 are two compression springs M. The manually actuated water pump G is connected with the boiler by pipe N, and with the water tank by pipe N1. The engine driven water pump is connected with the boiler by the pipe N2 and with the water tank by the pipe N1. Extending to the water tank from a point between the boiler and the pump is a pipe N3 containing an adjustable relief valve N4 through which any excess water delivered by the pump may be returned to the tank. The fuel tank is connected with the burner by aV pipe O, and located in this pipe between the pipes O1 and O2, which convey fuel to and from the power pump, is an adjustable by-pass valve O3. By adjusting the valve O3 the amount of fuel flowing in the by-pass circuit can be regulated, and in this manner the relation between the amounts of fuel and water delivered by the pumps can be adjusted. This valve is constructed to permit fuel to pass directly from the tank D to the burner, and to prevent a local circulation through the pump and pipes O1 and O2. Steam is conveyer from the boiler to the engine by the pipes P, and the engine is controlled by the throttle valve P1.

Referring now to Figs.- 2, 3 and 4f, A1 represents the engine shaft, and mounted thereon is an eccentric H which by means of a rod conveys motion to the cross-head H3. The cross-head is secured to two rods H2 which act as guides, and at the same time rigidly connect it with the cross-head H1. The cross-head H1 is sleeved on the rod J1 which is an extension of the piston rod of the water pump J. Rigidly secured to the piston rod at the right of the crosshead is a collar Q, by means of which a right hand movement is communicated to the piston. The fuel pump K and the water pump J have their cylinders formed in a common casting, and working within these cylinders are pistons which are rigidly connected to the cross-head I. Between the cross-heads I and H1, and surrounding the extension of the piston J1, are two coiled lcompression springsI L having -a sliding guide or collarJ2 located 'between them. I have found it preferable for certain reasons to use two springs instead of one between the cross-heads, but one spring may be used if desired. These springs normally tend to Vhold the sliding cross-head H1 against the a. certain amount of compression, but as the cross-head H1 stands in Fig. 1 it is balanced between the two forces exerted by the springs. This is a very desirable arrangement since I am enabled to obtain, for a given piston stroke, twice the compressionv obtainable where only a single spring is employed, providing that the compression or extension as the case may be, is from zero to maximum. Suppose, for example, that a lsingle spring is employed,4 in order to start the compression at zero and work it up to the desired maximum, it would'be necessary to startwith the spring fully extended, and this would mean a large movement for the cross-head H1 between the two extremes. Now by placing a second spring in opposition to the first, and giving both of them an initial compression, the crosshead H1 being located between them, will assume a Zero position. In other words the cross-head will be pressed from one side by a definite force, and by a corresponding and equal force from the other. Both sets of springs being under stress, when the crosshead starts to compress one spring it is assisted in itswork by the other spring. If it is desired, the compression of one spring can be made somewhat greater than the other and a stop provided to limit the movement of the cross-head in the direction of the weaker spring. A further modification would consist in making the scales of the springs diiferent. In order to balance, in a measure, the friction ofthe moving parts a compression spring R is coiled around one of the guides H2, and engages at one end with the casting forming the water pump cylinder, and at the other end with an adjustable collar R1 mounted on the guide.

I have described -the use of double springs as being a desirable one, but I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to that,

since I can employ a single spring and place it under an initial compression or not as I please.

Fig. 3 illustrates the position of the parts when the pump is working full stroke and, as here shown, the piston is at the end of said stroke.

In Fig. 5 the parts are shown in the position which they occupy when the water pressure on the boiler is at a maximum and the piston is doing no Work. That is to say, thevvater pressure on the boiler is greater than the force exerted by the springs L, so that While the cross-head H1 and the eccentric H continue to move to and fro at full stroke between the posit-ion shown in this figure and the one shown in Fig. 2 it has no effect on the pump, it merely compresses the spring at one portion of its st-roke and the spring expanding assists the engine on the return stroke. In other vvords the system is so arranged that the amount of Water or fuel delivered by the pumps is automatically varied in accordance With the demands.

With systems of the character described, it is preferable to provide some device for restricting the amount of steam which can pass from the boiler tothe engine, thereby preventing improper manipulation. Such a device is shown-in Fig. l and consists of a disk S mounted in a suitable holder, and provided vvith a small opening through Which the steam can pass. Instead of using a separate steam restricting or choking device the throttle valve P1 can be so arranged that it only has a certain definite and limited opening.

I have used the term vehicle in its broadest sense, as it is obvious that the apparatus could be used in connection with launches or other apparatus of a similar nature.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Assuming that it is desired to start the apparatus into operation, the hand-pump E is operated until there is a pressure of approximately five pounds on the fuel tank D. This Will force fuel to the burner C, Which fuel will be vaporized by any suitable means; at the same time Water is forced into the boiler by the fo0t-pump G. As soon as there is sufficient steam in the boiler the throttle P1 is opened and the engine is started into operation. At the moment of starting, the Water pressure on the boiler is low and the fuel and Water pumps operate at full stroke, but as soon as the Water and fuel pressures increase to a predetermined point a certain portion of the stroke of both pistons is taken up by the springs L, and as the pressure continues to increase, the compression on the springs increases until finally the maximum Water and fuel pressure is reached, when the pistons Will be in the position shown in Fig. 5. v,During all of this time, the engine is supposed to be in operation and the eccentric H and cross-head Hl moving at their full stroke. During the time that the Water and fuel pressures are rising to their maximums the stroke on the pumps lsteadily decreases, assuming, of course, that the rise in pressure is a regular one; if, on the other hand, there is a sudden demand on the boiler which decreases the Water pressure the length of the pump stroke will automatically increase, irrespective of the length of stroke Which it formerly had.

Assuming that the vehicle is stopped after heavy duty, the steam pressure may rise and the relief valve N4 will open slightly and permit the surplus Water to escape sometimes carrying vvith it steam from the boiler. Under ordinary operation however this valve would not be used. As soon as the pump K starts into operation it draws fuel from the tank I) through the pipes O and Ol and discharges it through pipe O2, the check valve O3 preventing the fuel from passing through the pipe O2 to the pipe O1 and thereby creating a local circuit.

It Will be seen that I have provided a system in which the supply of Water and fuel is automatically controlled in accordance With the demands on the apparatus, and with the demands on the apparatus, and that all the operator has to consider is the main throttle valve P1 by which the speed of the engine is governed, and that no matter how rapid are the changes in speed of the vehicle the pumps Will automatically regulate their discharges in accordance with the demands.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the supplies of Water to the boiler and fuel to the combustion chamber or burner Will automatically vary in unison as the demand for superheated vapor changes, and substantially in the same degree, because the pumps are mechanically united and Whatever affects the water pump piston must necessarily affect the fuel pump piston. The spring buffer between the driving means and the pump pistons readily compensates for all changes in load, no matter how small or large they are. The Water pump piston normally Works against a pressure which may be roughly stated as 500 pounds, While a pressure of 50 pounds will be satisfactory for the burner. As the demand for vapor changes, so will the length of the pump strokes, and the changes Will take place simultaneously and in the same degree with the variations in demand for fluid energy. The pistons of the pumps being rigidly connected and the bodies held stationary, and controlled in their action by the condition of the steam as to pressure, which varies Wit-h the demand, such for example as changes in load, the supplies of fuel and Water Will vary in a definite quantitative relation with respect to said demand. The boiler being of the flasher type, the Water as it enters is gradually hea-ted until it flashes into steam, and from this point to the end is gradually superheated. This means that there is only a small amount of Water at the temperature of vaporization. As the load on the engine changes and consequently the demand for steam, the point of vaporization changes slightly. In one case it may be midway between the ends of t-he tube, and in another before or after the midway position. The boiler being made in sections and arranged as shown, water enters the upper end and flows toward the fire. The lower end of the upper section is connected to the bottom of the lower section, and from this point the flow of superheated steam is away from the fire. The upper section of the boiler, being remote from the lire, is cooler than the lower section, and hence the temperature difference between it and the entering feed water is not very great. This is conducive to long life of the boiler. The construct-ion of this boiler, together with its advantages, are more fully set forth in another application filed by me.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of o peration of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

In my pending application Serial No. 129,859. filed November third, 1902, which is a division of the present application, said division being made under the requirements of Rules 41 and 42 of the United States Patent Office, I have described and claimed the method of operation of my invention, and hence no claim is made thereto in the present case.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1. In a system of control for steam-actuated apparatus, the combination of a boiler, a burner therefor, an engine, a `pair of pumps driven by the engine and arranged to deliver water directly to the boiler and fuel to the burner, said pumps bearing a fixed relation to each other, and a regulator comprising a spring device which assumes different operative positions under changes in pressure on the boiler for automatically varying the length of the strokes of the pumps.

2. In a system of control for steam-actuated apparatus, the combination of an engine, a boiler, a burner for heating the boiler externally, variable-stroke pumps which are arranged to deliver water directly to the boiler and fuel to the burner, and a driving connection between the engine and the pumps including elastic means controlled by the pressure on the boiler for varying the lengths of the piston strokes of the pumps to vary the supplies of water to the boiler and fuel to the burner in accordance with the demand made on the boiler for steam.

3. In a system of control for steam-actuated apparatus, the combination of an engine, a boiler, a burner, a water-pump, a

fuel-pump, and an automatic regulator comprising spring means which acts on both pumps and is itself controlled by the water pressure of the boiler.

4. In combination, a coil-boiler, a burner for heating the coil externally, pumps for supplying liquid to the coil and fuel to the burner, a propelling engine that receives its vapor from the boiler, means for communicating motion from the engine to the pump plungers and a spring regulating device which directly controls the admission of fuel to the burner and is itself responsive to variations in pressure on the boiler.

5. In a system of control for a stem-actuated apparatus, the combination of an engine, a shaft driven thereby, a boiler, a water-pump, a connection establishing a direct communication between the boiler and the pump, a mechanical connection between the engine shaft and the pump, and a spring regulating device which is acted upon by the pressure at the water end of the boiler for varying the length of stroke of the pump.

6. In a system of control for steam vehicles, the combination of an engine, means for varying the speed of the engine and consequently that of the vehicle, a boiler, a pump, means actuated by the engine for driving the pump which means has a constant length of stroke or movement but varies in speed with the speed of the engine, and compensating means located between the driving means and the pump piston and comprising an elastic device whereby the stroke of the pump may be automatically varied from maximum to Zero without affecting the movement of the driving means.

7. In a system of control for steam propelled vehicles, the combination of an engine, a boiler, a burner, a variable stroke water pump, a variable stroke fuel pump, means for synchronizing the movements of the pump pistons, means which receives a definite movement from the engine for driving the pumps, and automatic compensating spring means between the pump pistons and the driving means whereby the pump strokes can be varied.

8. In a system of control for steam actuated apparatus, tlie combination of a boiler, a burner, a variable stroke pump for supplying fuel to the burner, and an elastic device controlled by the pressure on the boiler for varying the stroke of the pump.

9. In a system of control for steam propelled vehicles, the combination of a boiler, a burner, a pump for forcing water into the boiler, a spring governor for the pump, and means for supplying fuel to the burner which is also controlled by the spring governor.

10. In a system of control for steam propelled vehicles, the combination of a boiler, a burner, a variable stroke water pump, a

variable stroke fuel pump, and an elastic means for automatically controlling the length of stroke of the pumps.

11. In a system of control for steam-actuated apparatus, the combination of an engine, la boiler, a burner, variable 'stroke pumps for the water and fuel which automatically vary the amount supplied in accordance with the demand, a mechanical connection for driving the pumps from the engine which has a constant length of stroke, a spring between the connection and the pump, and a throttle Valve whereby the engine is directly, and the pump indirectly, controlled.

12. In combination, a lsource of motive power having a definite stroke, a pump piston, two springs each under stress and opposed to each other, and a mechanical connection extending from the piston to a point between the springs whereby the stroke of the piston may be varied independently of that of the source of motive power.

13. In combination, a source of motive power having a definite stroke, a sliding cross-head connected thereto, a pump piston having an extended rod, two fixed stops on the rod, and two compression springs located on opposite sides of the cross-head and engaging with the stops at their outer ends and with the cross-head at their inner ends.

14. In a pump, the combination of a cylinder, a piston and rod for the cylinder, a cross-head for moving the piston, rods connecting the cross-head with the motor or source of mechanical energy, compression springs which oppose each other and work onopposite sides of the cross-head, and a spring acting in conjunction with one of the compression springs to compensate for friction.

15. In a pump, the combination of a cylinder, a piston and piston rod, two fixed stops on the rod, a cross-head through which the rod is free to move, one of said stops limiting its movement in one direction, oppositely disposed springs actin on the cross-head, and guides for the hea 16. In a pump, the combination of a cylinder, a piston, a rod therefor, a fixed stop on the rod, a cross-head through which the rod is free to move, a second stop against which the cross-headV abuts, and a spring which, under normal conditions, holds the cross-head against the second stop.

17. In a pump, the combination of two cylinders of diiferent size, pistons for the cylinders rigidly coupled together, a crossl head, compression springs acting on opposite sides of the cross-head, and a second crosshead rigidly connected to the first and arranged to have a fixed linear movement. I

18. In a pump, the combination of two parallel and integrally formed cylinders, a pair of pistons for the cylinders, a crosshead having a lixed linear stroke, a second cross-head rigidly connected by rods to the first, guides for the rods, compression springs whereby the strokes of the pumps may be varied, and a spring' surrounding one of the rods for overcoming a certain amount of the friction.

19. In a system of control for steam-actuated 'apparatus, the combination of an engine, a boiler for supplying steam thereto, a burner for the boiler, a pump driven by the engine and directly connected to the burner for delivering fuel thereto, and means controlled by theamount of steam delivered by the boiler for regulating the amount of fuel delivered by the pump by varying its stroke,

20. In a system of control for steam-actuated apparatus, the combination of a boiler, a burner, a Variable-stroke pump for supplyingvwater to the boiler, a direct connection between the boiler and the pump, a variablestroke pump for supplying fuel to the burner, and a spring means which acts automatically to vary the strokes of both pumps and is itself controlled by the pressure on the boiler. y

21. In a vapor generating system, the combination of a vaporizer arranged to receive liquid and gradually increase its temperature to the point of vaporization and then superheat it, a pump and connect-ion for supplying the necessary liquid to the vaporizer to furnish the superheated vapor, a burner for externally heating the walls of the vaporizer, a pump and connection for supplying liquid fuel to the burner, and spring means for regulating the amount of liquid delivered to the vaporizer and fuel to the burner as the demand for superheated vapor changes.

22. In a vapor generating system, the combination of a vaporizer arranged to receive liquid and gradually increase its temperature to the point of vaporization and then superheat it, a pump and connection for supplying the necessary liquid to the vaporizer to furnish the superheated vapor, a burner for heating the walls of the vaporizer, a pump and connection for supplying liquid fuel to the burner, an engine which drives the pumps and receives vapor from the vaporizer, and a controlling spring arranged between the engine and pumps for regulating the amount of liquid delivered to the vaporizer and fuel to the burner as the demand of the engine for vapor varies.

23. In a vapor generating system, the combination of a vapor generator which gradually increases the temperature of the liquid until vapor is formed and thereafter superin capacity, a motor which receives vapor from the generator and drives both of the pumps, and an elastic means located in the driving connection between the motor and pumps for increasing and decreasing the lengths of strokes of the pumps as the demand for vapor changes,

24. In a vapor generating system, the combination of a vapor generator which gradually increases the temperature of the liquid until vapor is formed and thereafter superheats the vapor before discharging it, a pump for supplying liquid to the generator, a fire chamber for heating the vapor generator, means for supplying liquid fuel to the fire chamber, the pump and said means being l arrangedto deliver differentnamountsf ima y given unit of time, a motor for driving theg` iiiiiuvfnivivY LEMP:

lVitnesses DUGALD MOKILLOP, Ci-iAs.- B. Bn'risiuimaA Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the 'fCommssipnerfrofatentsy Washington, D." C. 

